A Tale of Thievery
by xXSuzuXx
Summary: A twist on Flynn Rider/Eugene's past.   Mild mxm, don't read if you're homophobic.
1. Melon Bread

*Disclaimer: Flynn is not my character.

Full credit goes to Disney for Eugene/Flynn 8'D

also, mild mxm, don't read if you're homophobic.

* * *

><p>I was ten the first time I met him. I was sitting at the water edge and staring down at my reflection. From afar I could hear a commotion, the sound of the hooves on the cement, and the voice of the young captain of the royal guards barking commands at his soldiers. I was too busy staring down at myself to pay any mind. With all the robberies and other crimes about the town, nobody paid much attention anymore, as long as nothing happened to them.<p>

Besides, it was one of those sunny days. A day where nothing bad would happen, simply because it couldn't happen. Nobody was ever hurt in broad daylight. I was unconcerned.

When a voice came from behind me, I was surprised. Maybe even enough to jump. "Hey, you. Mind if I sit with you for a bit?" Came a silky voice. I looked up to find what looked like a shadow of a person, who must have been taller than me. He wore a shirt too large, and puffy enough to suggest he might have muscles, but wore something I could only have described as an undersized vest to contradict that. He was too skinny to be strong, I thought, and his pants were puffy and short too, so he was still a kid. Most importantly, he seemed to come from a wealthy home. The sun's glare shadowed his face, and as he plopped down beside me- without so much as waiting for a response, mind you- I turned back to the water.

"What're you crying about?" The mysterious boy asked.

Ashamed to be caught, I swiped at my eyes. "I'm not crying."

"What are you doing then?" I didn't have a reply. "That's what I thought." The male reached into the sactchel at his side and pulled a loaf of bread, which he ripped in two. He seemed to consider the pieces for a moment, maybe comparing sizes, then handed half to me. Dumbfounded, I accepted. "Melon bread. Best in town." He explained through a mouthful. "Though, it tastes better without salt."

The two of us sat in silence for awhile, chewing the fresh loaf of bread. I'd never tasted anything so sweet, nothing that wasn't made of pure sugar. When there was nothing more to eat, we remained silent for some time. He was the first to speak. "You're from the orphanage, aren't you?"

I nodded. "Lots of kids there, huh? But it must get lonely anyways. I bet other locals are tough on you too. Is that what you're crying about?"

Somehow, he knew exactly what I was upset about, but I still shook my head in denial. "You suck at lying, kid. Even without lying. what's your name?"

"Eugene."

"Honest, too." He laughed, as if to mock me. "Now, don't pout like that."

"I'm not pouting." I argued.

"You suck at lying." He replied. We sat for another few minutes, then he stood. "Well, I should get going." Only then did I look up at him again, with only a second to study his features. Dark hair in a bow, yellow eyes.

No, they were more the colour of gold. Golden eyes, as if he'd captured the sun itself. Almost in a trance, I watched as he walked, and after gathering my wits about me, stood. I ran without getting any closer to him. "Wait! What's your name?" I called.

The boy with the eyes of gold glanced over his shoulder at me, and flashed a knowledgeable grin. "Eli!" He called back. Then he disappeared.


	2. Encounters

The next I saw of Eli, I was twelve and walking back to the orphanage for supper. I was carrying my favourite book, and had been reading to some kids earlier on.

When I spotted Eli, he was leaning back against a building, arms folded over the other as he stared up at the setting sky. Even though it had been more than a full two years, I recognized him immediately. "Eli!" He jumped and looked at me like I might try to murder him.

After fifteen seconds or so, recognition touched his features. "Oh, it's you. The kid from before." For some reason the way he spoke, like we had just spoken the other day, irritated me.

"I'm not a kid. I'm twelve now." I informed him proudly. He seemed amused by it.

Eli placed a hand over his heart, and bowed. "Oh, of course, I'm sorry. Twelve, I should have known. A man grown." Foolishly, I felt better. Eli must have sensed my pride. "You have grown since I last saw you. I'm impressed. You might turn out handsome yet."

He turned and began to walk. I followed. Even when we passed by the orphanage, I continued after him. "So, what book have you got there, Eugene?"

For a second, I felt threatened by his question, and held the book closer. "The Tales of Flynnigan Rider." I replied hesitantly. I wondered if he would make fun of me.

Somehow, the male only seemed impressed and let out a low whistle. "Flynnigan Rider, huh? Sounds impressive." I felt my face heat up.

"Not really." Nobody had ever seemed impressed when I read anything. "Hey, Eli?" I was quiet until Eli hummed curiously. "Where do you live?" I asked carefully.

Eli shrugged. "Somewhere."

"Where's somewhere?"

"Nowhere near here." He placed a hand on my head and mussed my hair. Puffing, I reached up to fix it. It didn't answer my question, but I figured it was the best I was going to get.

"Then who are you?"

"Me?" He clicked his tongue. "Just a thief."

In my surprise, I stilled, and that was when he left me. With an airy laughter passing his lips. I didn't see where he had gone. 


	3. Dreams

It was only a couple months before I met with him again.

Since I had learned of his occupation, I had become more interested in anything that occurred within the town involving robberies. He truly was a thief, as he had said, but somehow this didn't make me look down on him. Eli, in his own way, was amazing.

He was always several steps ahead of the guards, he moved like he was caught in a dance, elegantly, delicately. And he was always laughing. Even when he disappeared, his laughter could still be heard.

No matter how hard I tried to find him, I could only catch glimpses of him.

It was Eli who found me again, sitting in the same place where we had first met. "Crying again?" He plopped down beside me, peering at my face.

Feeling cornered, I looked away. "No." I replied.

"Liar. Even without tears on your face, you look like you're crying. What's up?"

There was an awkward silence between us, and he only stared at me expectantly. "I... hate living like this." I said finally. Eli was unsurprised. "In the orphanage, it's always a struggle to make it to the next day. There's too many of us... I'm just... just a bother."

"Is that how it is?" Eli hummed.

I nodded. There was another long silence. "Hey, Eli?" I continued once I was sure I had his attention. "Why do you steal?" It was the very question that had plagued my mind since I'd last seen him.

"Well..." Eli leaned back and looked up at the sky. "I guess you could say I'm chasing a dream."

"What kind of dream?"

He hummed. "The kind of dream where I don't have to worry anymore. Where all my dreams come true. With all the riches in the world, where I can solve everyone's problems. Heck, I could even help the orphanage. Unfortunately, I'm just like you. How could an orphan work their way up to the very top in an honest manner?" He laughed. "So I make money my own way. One day I'll repay anyone who was ever kind to me, help those who need it, you know." Anyone else might have thought him pathetic, disgusting, anything, really. Yet I thought it was admirable. The person before me was amazing.

"Do you think there's something wrong with me?" Eli asked next.

I didn't even hesitate. I shook my head. "N-no, not at all. I think that you're really amazing."

Eli blinked. Then grinned at me. "Really?" He laughed one of those airy laughs. "You're a funny kid, you know that? I like you." For some reason, I was proud of that.

"I really like you too."

We sat for awhile longer, staring out into the horizon. Then he stood up, patted himself and stretched his arms over his head. "Well, I best be off now. I'll see you again, Eugene." And with that, he was off, and I didn't try to stop him. Eli would only stay if he wanted to stay. 


	4. Beginnings

A few months later I left the orphanage in the middle of the night.

Eli had constantly been on my mind. What he did for a living, his hopes and his dreams, and all the adventures he must have had. What a life that must have been. I wanted it for myself. I also wanted to repay everyone, I wanted to live a life without worries and cares. Everything that Eli wanted, I wanted too. And most of all, I wanted to be with him.

I was slow to realize that I didn't know where he was, or how to find him. I knew next to nothing about Eli, and I would probably be lucky to even see him again. He could have moved towns, or been captured and sent to prison. Both thoughts frightened me. It hardly crossed my mind that I would encounter him that night.

"Hey, kid!" Called Eli from somewhere unseen. Frantically, I looked about, only to find him sitting on a roof top. "What're you doing out so late, with all your worldly possessions on your back?" He continued when I spotted him. He pushed himself from the building, and landed gracefully on his feet. "Don't tell me you're running away."

I stiffened, wondering how it was that he somehow knew everything about me, everything I was planning. Looking down at my feet, I nodded. Apparently pleased by this, Eli grinned. "I want to live with you." I told him. He feigned surprise.

"Now, why-ever would you want to live with me? You don't even know where I live."

"It doesn't matter. I can live anywhere, and I won't take up much space. I can even sleep on the ground, or under the bed if you want. It doesn't matter to me. I won't be any trouble, I promise." I was afraid that he would turn me down, and send me back the way I came. I had just left, and I didn't want to go back now that I had worked up the courage to leave.

Eli chuckled. "Don't look too worried now. I wasn't going to refuse you. Do you have all your things?" I nodded. "Good. You won't be able to go back to the orphanage again if you decide to stick with me. Are you going to be okay with that?" I nodded again. "Even if you get lonely?" Again, I nodded. "Alright then. As long as you can keep up, you can stay with me."

Turning away, Eli took off, and I scrambled to follow. He was even faster when I tried to keep up with him than he was when I watched him escape the guards. No matter how fast I ran, he was always well ahead of me. The bag on my back was heavy, though there was nothing in there but a few changes of clothes, a couple of books and a bundle of paper. A few times I considered ditching it, or stopping altogether. No matter how lost I felt, though, and how certain I was that he would disappear and leave me behind, he was always just in sight. So even when he got onto the rooftops, I followed, clumsily climbing up boxes and clinging to tiles to get myself up.

In the distance I could hear him laughing. After that, running was no longer my main concern. It was climbing, and trying not to fall. I was never afraid of heights, nor was I a bad climber, yet falling terrified me at that moment. I knew that if I fell, I would lose Eli, and my chance. The chase seemed to go on for hours, though I knew it couldn't be that long, then suddenly he stopped. The rooftop was steep, and I slipped. Before I could fall, he took my hand, and pulled me back to my feet. "Careful." He said.

Only then did I realize how high we'd climbed. The ground seemed miles below us, just like the rest of the town. I had never been up so high in my life. It was frightening.

It was beautiful.

From the clock tower we stood upon, I could see the entire town. Everything, all the lights from the buildings, and even the castle, far, far off in the distance. "Wow.." I was stunned.

"Wow, indeed." Eli kicked around, and finding a little groove, pushed part of the roof aside to reveal a hole, then slipped inside. I could only stare for a moment, then I followed after him. He closed up the hole once I was in. "You did a good job." He told me. I was proud. "This is home. Well, at least for tonight. Tomorrow, or maybe the day after, we'll set out."

Eli sat down on a mattress, and I looked around. It wasn't much, not in the least. There were no windows to speak of. Only a crack in the bricks that let in a little light. The ceiling was uneven, taller in some places than others, and there was lumber to support it. The only furniture was the mattress Eli was sitting on as he removed his boots. Besides that, there were only a pair of sacks, sitting tied up. "What's that?" I asked, pointing.

"Loot." He replied, standing up. "One has food, the other valuables." He opened one off the bags. The one with food, and tossed me a loaf of bread. "Melon bread." He explained, tearing off a piece of his own with his teeth.

Just like the first time we met, I thought.

And it was just as sweet. 


	5. Lessons

With Eli I learned a lot of things. How to pick pockets without being caught, how to run away and use my size to my advantage. Climbing, basic defense, first aid, cooking using only what I had and how to make and find shelter. All of those were important, he told me.

He also told me to never give my name to anyone, to never trust anyone but myself, and to put myself before the world. I should be my own number one, he told me, and I should always be prepared to betray, and be betrayed. On top of that, he taught me how to lie properly, and how to use my looks to my advantage. I was eager to learn, and so I learned quickly.

I learned more about Eli, too. He was only two years older than me, which meant he was still a kid. When I confronted him about calling me a kid, he just explained that sometimes adults were still kids even after their bodies had grown, and sometimes kids were adults even before theirs had grown. It didn't make much sense to me, but he still continued to call me 'kid' anyways. And he laughed when I called him 'kid' in return.

Eli had come from a modest family originally, his mother had died giving birth to him, which wasn't uncommon, and his father had been a smith. He lost his father when he was six to a gang of bandits, but he never elaborated more than that. Apparently he'd lived in an orphanage for a couple years, and learned how to pick-pocket from a group of older boys. The rest he'd taught himself, and it wasn't long before he left life at the orphanage behind.

There were some things Eli didn't tell me about himself that I learned, too. He didn't like carrots, but loved the taste of onions and garlic. Sometimes he liked to dance in the rain, and when he was in a particularly good mood, he would hum to himself. I don't think he noticed that he did that. He hid small daggers in his sleeves and boots, and often shared food with homeless children he saw on the streets.

When it stormed he would get excited, and if it was a clear night, he liked to sleep under the stars and point out constellations to me. He was a strong swimmer, but he didn't like being underwater. Certain bugs scared him, and though it was incredibly difficult to sneak up on him, he would squeak if you could, turn red and hide his face.

Sometimes he would talk in his sleep, and other times he would cry. He didn't know he did that, either. He must have been lonely, too. And there was something that scared him enough to give him nightmares.

Eli couldn't read or write, but he liked to hear stories all the same. There was so much that he taught me, and that was the only thing I ever taught him in return. Eli was always excited to learn something new. He wasn't ashamed of not knowing how to read or write, or that someone younger than him was teaching him. In fact, when I offered, he was thrilled. Our lessons were among the only times I ever saw him truly excited about anything. He was a fast learner, too. He told me that was how someone needed to be, to live the kind of life we were living.

The place we lived in was small and modest, but cozy. It was home. Nobody ever found us there, the little cottage hidden by thick overgrowth and stone walls. There must have been a larger building there at some point. A long time ago. When we were there, we were safe.

Often times, we were nowhere near our home, though. We would travel to different towns, some distant, and some near. Those were the times that offered the greatest adventure. Eli would sometimes disappear for hours, and when he returned, he always had something for us to bring home. Very seldom did he use me, at least at first.

Our life was different from most, but I loved it.

Two years passed without me knowing. 


	6. Jealousy

That was the first time he took me anywhere near the palace. There was a great festival in town, and later that night, lanterns would take off. It was something of a mourning process, Eli explained, but the townsfolk liked to say that it was to guide their lost princess back to them.

"Sounds stupid." He laughed when I said that, and shrugged.

"Let's see... the princess would be, what? Seven, maybe eight now? Still a little girl, if she's even alive. Nobody has seen her since she went missing as a baby, but somehow, the townsfolk still believe she'll come back to them." He spoke as if it were something truly amazing.

Later that day he showed me the portrait of the little lost princess and her family. "Pretty, isn't she?" He asked.

"She's a baby."

"I don't know, she might be my wife someday. I would make a good king, don't you think?" He laughed. "That would be great, to bring back the lost princess, become the king, and gain riches in turn."

I looked up at the baby girl portrayed, then down again. "Not really." I replied, kicking at a pebble. For reasons I could not explain, I was jealous of a baby girl who was more likely dead than alive. 


	7. Difficulty

I was fifteen when I realized that Eli was famous. Or rather, infamous. Nobody knew his name, but everybody seemed to know his face. There were posters everywhere. In all the towns and villages we frequented, and even the ones we did not.

During that time, things were hard. We would have to lay low for days at a time, and making any profit was difficult. The security was tougher everywhere, and I wasn't near as talented a thief as Eli. Still, I was happy. Even when Eli decided that we needed to do better.

We frequented dingy little towns with nothing but thugs and tavern wenches in them. There was nothing to steal there but already stolen goods, most of which were little in comparison to what he could have accomplished otherwise. It seemed good enough to me, however.

Some nights Eli would disappear completely, without telling me where he was going, or what he was doing. He would only tell me he would be back by the time I woke up. Most of those nights, I didn't sleep in the first place.

When he returned, he was always sore, grumpy and tired. But he would always have loot. Money, jewelry, interesting trinkets. It was still less than before, but it was something. It was more than enough.

That lasted for nearly a year.

After that, Eli got tired of always hiding, and never having what he wanted. The risk was far greater, but life went back to how it had been before. Escaping was nothing but a game, he decided, and I was getting older and better. I was finally of some use to him. For that, I was proud.

I didn't realize that I was still just a cowardly kid. 


	8. Coward

We were heading back with a fairly decent catch for the day, dragging stuffed sacks of food and money. Eli must have noticed something, because he stilled, then he looked back at me. "Quick. Get down and hide." He told me. Startled, I stared blankly at him instead. Eli was already on the move, and then he was gone. And I was still standing in the same place, arms hanging limply at my side as I wondered what was going on.

Before I knew what was happening, I was surrounded by a gang of bandits. There were six, maybe seven of them. Each wore a grin on their face, like they had just won some sort of prize. I realized then that I was their prize, and the bags I was carrying, too.

"Hey, honey." Said one with gross teeth and grosser smile. "Are you sure you should be out so late, all alone?" He flipped a knife in a hand.

Terrified, my mind went blank.

Next I knew, Eli was beside me again, a blade in each hand. "Run!" He told me.

This time, I didn't hesitate. I ran. I could hear someone come after me, but they didn't make it far before they were stopped. Once I was far enough away, I clambered up a tree and clung there at the very top, trembling as I waited for the sound of fighting to be over.

It never occurred to me that Eli might not be able to handle everything on his own. He always seemed so strong, and fast. There would never be anyone stronger, or faster, no one more skilled. Even seven fully grown men would be no match for him, surely.

He was the one who was no match for them. Two were bleeding so much that they must have been seriously injured, but they didn't seem to mind. Eli lasted a good amount of time before he was overwhelmed, beaten and then raped by each of the men. When they were finished with him, they took what we had left behind there and left him, bruised and bloody.

I never once tried to stop them, or even thought about it. I was too scared.

It was only once I was sure the men were gone that I climbed down from my hiding place. Eli was still where they'd left him. He looked like he had been hollowed out from the inside. As I approached, he looked up at me. "Hey..." He mumbled as greeting. "You okay?" I was the one who wanted to ask him that. "What're you crying for? Geez, Eugene. You're such a crybaby." He breathed a sound that might have been a laugh and slipped into unconsciousness.

The rest of my night was spent dragging him back to our home, patching and cleaning Eli up. I tried to calm myself for when he woke again.

They say that people change after traumas like that.

But not Eli. He joked about it like it had happened to someone else, he never once blamed me, or asked me why I didn't try to help. If I hadn't asked, I doubt I ever would have known what he thought about the experience altogether.

"Why did you come back to save me?" I asked him one day. "Why didn't you just save yourself. You could have gotten away."

That was the first time I'd ever seen Eli look hurt while he was awake. He stared at me for a good, long time. Then he shrugged. One of the first things he had ever taught me was to only think of myself. Why hadn't he done the same? "Don't know." He replied. "Guess I wasn't thinking at all."

I noticed things I had never noticed about Eli before. He was much smaller than he had ever seemed. He really was only a couple years older than me, but the more I looked at him, I realized he could have been younger. At some point I had grown taller than him without even knowing it. Eli was kind of a scrawny fellow. He had feminine features, though not so feminine that he could be mistaken for a girl unless he really tried. He might not have been as strong as I'd thought he was.

I also realized he might have been infatuated with me. Somehow, the thought made me happy. Things were normal for a few days.

Then Eli disappeared. 


	9. Loss

Three years passed before I saw him again.

It was completely by chance that I was in town then. I had been running for what felt like hours, trying desperately to get there on time. To save him.

I met him in the prison, cuffed and surrounded by guards. "E-Eli!" I called out to him as he was marched down the corridor. The guards turned with Eli, who for a moment, looked shocked.

"You know this kid?" Asked one of the guards.

Eli hesitated for a moment. "No." He replied. "Why would I know some kid off the streets?" He laughed the same laugh that I remembered. It was such a tired laugh. "Now, now, kid. Don't cry over somebody you don't even know. That's not proper, now is it?" He was marched closer to me, and as he leaned in a little closer, he smiled. "Listen, kid. Become better than me. Be a better man than I ever was. Reach all your dreams."

One of the guards sneered. "That won't be difficult." Another said. Eli was turned and dragged off. Even in chains, he still walked in a dignified manner. I couldn't save him.

They felt miles away when Eli turned his head and looked back at me. "Flynn's a nice name, isn't it?" He called before he was jerked along with them.

The next day Eli was hung. It seemed that the entire town gathered to watch the condemned man die. I pushed my way to the front of the crowd, hoping uselessly that something, somebody would save him.

Eli was looking out into the crowd when I saw him, or maybe he was looking at the setting sun, like we had done so many times before. Together. He wore a lazy grin on his face, and when he spotted me, he smiled more, like we were together again, returning from some grand adventure, rather than I watching as he was about to die.

His hands, which were bound together by rope this time, were tied in front of him, and he raised them to give a clumsy salute. Then he was dropped.

Eli didn't struggle, cry, nor beg for his life. He only slumped, and just before he died, his body twitched violently. Once dead, he was left to hang.

I noticed people clearing out immediately after his death. Suddenly those who were watching so intently moments before wanted nothing to do with this. I was the last one left standing when one of the younger guards; who had been walking with Eli not more than twenty four hours ago approached me. "Hey, kid." He said, glancing up at the hanging man, then back at me. There was a glimmer of suspicion in his eyes. "What's your name?" He asked.

He repeated the question when I didn't respond right away, irritated.

Finally, I looked up at him. "My name? It's Flynn... Flynn Rider." And that name would become famous. 


End file.
